by Liz Fielding
“One kiss,” he whispered. “And we’re out of here.”
She nodded happily. He bent and touched his lips to hers. She sighed. Magic.
And then it all fell to pieces, like a glass vase smashed by a rock.
Someone shouted. A buzz went through the assembly. Callie turned, confused. What was going on?
“Call 911,” someone shouted. “Quick. It’s Tina.”
“Tina?”
Callie was pushing her way through the crowd, her heart in her throat. By the time she got to her friend, Tina was sitting up, supported by someone who was holding a cup of water to her lips.
“I’m okay,” she said, trying to smile at Callie. “I’m just…” Her voice faded and she slumped forward.
She wasn’t okay at all. That much was obvious. Callie was frantic until the paramedics arrived to take her to the hospital.
“I have to go with her,” she told Grant. “I’m so sorry, I…”
He nodded. “Of course. Go.”
“I’ll call you from the hospital.”
“Fine.”
He watched her climb into the back of the ambulance in her wedding gown and he knew his wedding night was a lost cause. But that didn’t matter. Tina’s welfare was all important now. That, and…
“Where’s the little girl?” he asked Gena. “I hope she didn’t see any of that.”
“No. She’s asleep on my bed.”
Grant nodded and took in a deep breath. “I guess we’d better look into some sort of child care for her.”
“Later,” Gena said, putting a hand on his arm. “She can stay with me for now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Oh, yes. She’s adorable. I’ll take care of her until we hear more about Tina.”
He nodded, looking broodingly at the road that led away from the ranch, the road Callie had disappeared down, and wondering how long it would be before he had her in his arms again.
It had been a week since his wedding, but he didn’t have a wife yet. Tina was home from the hospital but things didn’t look good. Callie had been staying at the apartment and spending most of her time at the hospital or taking care of Molly. And Grant was on his own.
So here he sat in his darkened apartment, a glass of bourbon and water in his hand, mulling over where things stood. He’d married Callie, but he hadn’t made her truly his wife, and he was about to go out of his mind with gloom over it.
He’d seen her every day. He’d gone over and done what he could for Tina and given support to Callie. He’d hired a service of rotating nurses and child-care professionals to help out at the apartment once Tina was back from the hospital. This was a very trying time for all of them.
Callie had decided to stay at the apartment herself for the short-term, and he’d agreed. Even with a nanny hired, he knew she felt someone should be with Molly to keep her from sensing how scary things really were. He wanted Callie home, but he hadn’t pushed. He’d had to bite his tongue a number of times to keep from saying what he felt. But he’d held it back.
What was happening to Tina was tragic and heartbreaking. The cancer she’d been battling over the last year had returned with a vengeance. Chemotherapy and radiation were being considered. Callie had thrown herself into the role of support for her friend and he could understand that. Callie’s compassionate side was one of the factors that made her such a quality person.
And she was. The better he got to know her, the more impressed he was with the woman he’d chosen to be the mother of his future children. She was great.
And at the same time, she was so much the opposite of his first wife. Jan had been all fire and passion, dancing and laughter, sharp anger and sweet atonement. She’d kept him on his toes. He’d loved her with a passion just as deep and bright, and he missed her so much he avoided thinking about her.
Just because she’d been such a presence in his life, he’d known he needed someone completely different, someone who wasn’t like Jan at all. And Callie was that person. Where Jan ran on impulse, Callie was planned. She used logic and kept her distance until she was sure of what she was doing. He was learning to appreciate those qualities more and more.
Now she was coming home tomorrow. And in some ways, he was more worried about that than anything. A bad pattern had been set by their being apart all this time. That pattern had to be broken. He wasn’t sure how and he didn’t want to come off like a caveman; he only knew something had to give.
He had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Once she came back if she still had that lost, haunted look in her eyes, chances were good she wasn’t going to be in the mood for babymaking. He’d promised he wouldn’t push her into anything until she was ready. Circumstances were conspiring to keep that from happening. She was going to need something to pull her out of her current sad reality. Something new. Something to jolt her world and make her see the sunshine.
And, what the hell, something to make her see him again.
He frowned, turning the glass in his hand, thinking over options. He had to do something, no matter what it was. What was the point of having a lot of money if you didn’t use it?
An idea came to him, full of possibilities. Narrowing his gaze, he thought over all the options hard and fast. Yes. It was a good idea. In fact, it was a fantastic idea.
He picked up the telephone and punched in the number of the local airport. He was going to order himself up a honeymoon.
CHAPTER EIGHT
CALLIE had barely walked in the door when Grant was hustling her back out it again. In minutes, he had her ensconced in his car and they were sailing along the highway toward the airport.
“Where are we going?” she asked, looking out the window at the passing scene. He’d astonished her and she realized she was glad. With so much sadness in her life right now, she needed a respite. She’d spent so many nights lying awake in anger at what was happening to Tina. She’d spent hours crying in the shower, away from Molly. Grief was exhausting. She needed a break.
“It’s a surprise.”
She frowned. “But I didn’t pack anything. Are we staying overnight?”
He smiled mysteriously and refused to answer.
“You see, this is the problem with surprises,” she fretted, only half teasing. “Women need to prepare for these things. We need time to decide what to wear.”
“I’ll keep that in mind for next time,” he said smoothly, ignoring her mock glare.
He could have told her not to worry. It had already been taken care of. He’d called the personal shopper at the island resort where they were staying. He’d given her a few sizes and colors to work with and if she did her job well, a whole weekend wardrobe should be waiting for Callie in their room.
They landed on Santa Talia, a little-known island in the Caribbean. The air felt like liquid silk and smelled like plumeria blossoms. The locals had borrowed a tradition from the Hawaiians and happily piled flower leis around both their necks, until they were swimming in perfume and petals.
The resort consisted of bungalows spread out across rolling greenery and centered around a main building that provided the lobby, dining room and shops. Callie exclaimed over the perfectly furnished room and then gasped when she found the closet full of clothes that were just her size.
“I feel like Cinderella,” she told him, happily flinging clothes on the bed to look at them.
“Just call me the Handsome Prince,” he teased. “But hang on to those glass slippers.”
She laughed but when he caught her eye, she blushed. She knew why they were here. She could feel his growing excitement. She was ready, but completely panicked at the same time.
The last week had been draining and the sadness and anger over what was happening to Tina still filled her with an uncontrollable need to do something, anything, to feel like she was helping. So it had taken a lot for her to leave the scene, and when she’d first realized they were flying off somewhere for the weekend, she’d silently rebelled for a moment
or two.
But she realized she owed Grant something, too. And if a few hours away from Texas would help him, maybe they were just what she needed as well.
“Let’s go for a walk on the beach,” he suggested.
“Okay.”
The sun was setting. They hadn’t eaten but neither one of them was hungry. They strolled down the white sand, letting the water lap at their toes, then climbed on some rocks. Grant caught hold of her when she lost her footing. He held her against him for a beat longer than necessary. She could feel his pulse, sense his desire. And for a moment, she could hardly breathe.
They had a sumptuous dinner served in their room but she could hardly eat a bite. A bottle of champagne was provided and they drank a toast.
“To honeymoons,” Grant said, lifting his glass until the tiny bubbles sparkled in the lamplight.
“To honeymoons,” she agreed, smiling into his eyes.
They went for another walk along the sand. The sky was inky and the moon was a silver ship riding the clouds above them. Moonlight shimmered on the water. The refuge of their room looked inviting as they returned. And Grant very deliberately closed the door.
Cupping her face with his hands, he bent slowly toward her and touched her lips with his.
“I promised you we wouldn’t do this until you’re ready,” he said softly. “Are you ready?”
She nodded, her throat too thick for speech. Her heart was like a caged bird fighting against the bars. She’d never been so scared and so thrilled, all at once. She wasn’t sure she was going to live through this. But she was ready.
He muttered something against her lips, but she wasn’t sure what it was, and then he was parting them with his tongue. She accepted him into her mouth, at first hesitant, and then greedily. He tasted so good and felt amazing. Raising her arms to circle his neck, she arched into his muscular body, wanting to feel her breasts hard against his chest.
Music was playing somewhere nearby. The sound of the waves on the beach mixed with the tune and made an island symphony. The air was soft, his hands were just rough enough to tantalize, and a fire was beginning to smolder inside her in places she didn’t know could burn.
His hands slid down her sides and then the simple dress she’d worn was in a puddle on the floor. She heard someone moan and realized the sound had come from her own mouth. She was going to make love and be made love to for the first time in her life. That was just awesome. A landmark. A red-letter day.
Would she be glad or sorry when it was over? She didn’t know. She only knew it had to be done. And now her body was reaffirming that very mandate. She was melting and yet floating at the same time. She didn’t feel normal at all, and she loved it. As she pressed her mouth to his neck and kissed him with her tongue, she knew she could get addicted to this feeling. And then, suddenly, she felt an urgency building inside her, a need so intense, she cried out in surprise.
“Just a moment, Callie,” he whispered huskily against her throat. “Don’t worry. We’ll get there.”
As he picked her up to carry her to the bed, she knew she was sinking into passion as though it were a very thick and very soft pillow. And passion was a destination she never wanted to leave again.
Sometime later, they lay together, spent for the moment, catching breaths. A whole new world of sensation had opened up for Callie, but there was more. A whole new world of closeness and affection had opened up as well. She knew what it was to have a man. Did she also know what it was to love?
She would have said yes to that question just moments before. Now that the air was cooling her skin, she wasn’t so sure anymore.
“Cooler heads prevail,” she murmured groggily.
“What’s that?” he asked, raising his head and looking at her with a slight smile.
“Nothing. I’m just enjoying the moment,” she said, smiling at him. She reached a lazy hand up to touch the skin of his wonderful chest. “I feel so…so good.”
“I’m glad.” He looked at her warmly, and then almost imperceptibly, his gaze cooled. He looked away. “I hope that did us some good,” he said crisply, sounding like things were all business again. “We’ll have to keep trying until…”
She closed her eyes, appalled, and drew back her hand. Here she’d been thinking love and he’d revealed he had a calculator where his heart should be. For just a moment, she understood the old saying that hatred is the closest thing to love.
Oh, Grant, don’t ruin this.
He leaned over her and began dropping small kisses around her navel. To her shock, her hunger was back so strongly, it was as though it hadn’t been satisfied just moments before.
So this was the way it was going to be. Alternating joy and chagrin. Well, if that was her destiny, bring it on. She had to admit, she rather liked it.
By the time their honeymoon ended, they’d had two days of mostly bliss. Callie didn’t think she’d ever been so happy in her life. She was an old hand at making love now. She knew the ropes. A lady with experience. That made her laugh at herself, but it was true. They’d made love three times that first night and countless times since. And each time she felt she learned a little more about this man she’d married.
For the short time they were together on the island, they developed a closeness that amazed her. He’d been so warm and loving, she felt as though she could say anything to him, and ask anything of him. Well, almost anything. As long as it had nothing to do with his first wife and child.
And now they were going home. Already missing the place, she looked about to make sure they had picked everything up before leaving.
“Have you had a good time?” Grant asked, smiling at her.
“Oh, it’s been like heaven here,” she said.
“Heaven I’m not so sure about,” he responded with a grin. “But I do agree it’s about the best place on our earth.” He looked at his watch. “We all packed and ready to go?”
“I think so.”
“We’ve got about twelve minutes before the car arrives to take us to the airport.” He looked at her speculatively. “Twelve whole minutes,” he said softly.
She started to smile, eyes sparkling. “Twelve whole minutes, huh?”
He nodded, one eyebrow quirked in question. “What do you think?”
She shrugged, feeling an unfamiliar sense of wicked delight. “Why not?”
Laughing, they began a race to see who would be first getting rid of the clothes they’d just put on. In half a moment, they were back on the bed, tumbling together, hot skin and willing flesh, a heady recipe for ecstasy.
Callie marveled later, when she was remembering this crazy, wonderful event, that her response had become so quick and ready in such a short time. She was very much afraid that it was mostly due to the fact that she loved the man. And, almost as important, she loved his lovemaking.
They were back and it was like stepping out of a beautiful fantasyland into the cold, hard reality of everyday life. Things that had seemed so easy on Santa Talia suddenly seemed impossible to achieve.
It had been late in the evening when they’d driven in from the airport. Callie had gone straight to the kitchen to begin to find her way around and get used to the place. She’d come over a couple of times in the days before the wedding, fixing up the spare bedroom into a retreat of her own and moving some of her things in. He’d wondered why she felt she needed her own space at the time, but he hadn’t said a thing. He wasn’t sure, really, how he was going to feel when the time came.
She made them both some hot chocolate and they sat at the kitchen table and sipped, talking softly about their weekend. They had both been yawning and he was thinking it was time to go to bed when she’d rinsed out their cups, turned to smile at him. “Well, good night,” she said.
And off she went down the hall before he realized what was happening, straight into the spare bedroom. The door closed with a crisp finality. And he was still sitting at the table with his mouth hanging open.
He supposed
she was just as tired as he was, but still…He hadn’t realized she was going to value her privacy quite so completely and now he was feeling a bit disgruntled-even a little confused. He’d looked forward to having Callie in his bed, to holding her close in the night. He hadn’t had that warm companionship for so long, not since…
Well, Jan of course. Not since Jan.
Funny that he hadn’t realized where that thought was going until it got there. Usually Jan was right up-front, foremost in his consciousness. But never mind, he was just tired. This had nothing to do with Callie and the fact that they had made love. Not at all.
His instinct was to go straight to her and bang on the door, asking her just what the hell she thought she was doing. But he controlled the impulse. He’d vowed to treat her more calmly than he used to treat Jan. Give her some space. Let things develop naturally.
Still, he hoped he wasn’t going to have to point out to her that one weekend in the Caribbean wasn’t necessarily going to be enough to start a long line of descendants hatching. It might take a bit more work. In fact, it was going to take more no matter what.
Callie was leaning against the bedroom door with her eyes closed, listening intently. She’d taken that long, lonely walk down the hall, waiting to hear his voice calling her back, losing hope with every step.
Why didn’t he call her? Why didn’t he laugh and say, “No, darling, I want you in my bed-all night long.”
But he never said a word. She supposed he didn’t want her to try to take Jan’s place in his bed, so she wasn’t going to try to push her way in. She knew that in his mind, Jan was his real wife. Callie was his business partner in this baby-making enterprise. She wouldn’t encroach. She wouldn’t try to take any more of him than she was due. But it was going to be a cold, lonely night with only memories of Santa Talia to warm her.
Tina was worse. The doctors had decided her cancer was inoperable. Her outlook was not good and that cast a pall over everything.
Callie threw herself back into caretaking with a vengeance. Though she insisted on working a full day at the office, she vowed to spend every moment she could with Tina and Molly, trying to help smooth the transition for them both. The golden idyllic space and time on Santa Talia very quickly began to seem like a dream that had taken place far, far away in a past that was receding.